Fundraiser planned for crash victims’ family

August 20, 2014

RAY BROOK - Correctional officers from the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Ray Brook are organizing a softball tournament to raise funds for the family of James and Kim Barney, a Parishville couple who died in a car accident on state Route 86 in Ray Brook on July 25.

The couple left behind five children, including 11-year-old Emily Colby who was in the backseat when the accident happened. She was airlifted fro the scene to Fletcher Allen Medical Center, where she recovered from her injuries. The couple also left behind three other daughters: Kathryn Barney of Lisbon, Kayla Bedore, Rebecca Colby, and Emily Colby all of Parishville, and a son, Conor Barney of Lisbon.

Police said the accident occurred when 20-year-old Trevor Sisto of Fort Covington, driving a Ford-F150, crossed into the opposite lane on Route 86 and hit a Honda Fit carrying the Barney family head on, in front of Curtis Lumber and the state Adirondack Park Agency.

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Kim and James Barney

Police said Sisto was fleeing them and had been driving in an "extremely reckless manner" at a high rate of speed. Sisto is facing numerous charges related to incidents that happened prior to the accident and is expected to face charges related to the crash.

James was a sergeant at Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone. Kim had been employed at the St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services in Canton. They were married atop Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington on Aug. 1, 2010.

The softball tournament is called the James Barney Memorial Softball Tournament sponsored by the Adirondack Correctional Facility and New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association. The tournament will be held the weekend of Sept. 6-7 at the Roger Quinn Memorial softball field in Ray Brook. The tournament is co-ed, and teams will consist of five men and five women. The cost for teams entering is $150. The deadline to sign up is Sept. 2. All proceeds from entry fees, raffles, silent auctions and otherwise will go to the Barney family.

Barry Borden, a correctional officer at Adirondack Correctional Facility, said that he and fellow correctional officers Haji Maroun and Dave Stone are the main organizers. He said they wanted to do something for the family because James worked at Bare Hill.

"Usually at this facility here, we're really good and active in the community," Borden said. "If someone needs help, we do something, but this is a little closer to home because it's a corrections family. Honestly, I didn't know the guy. I didn't know the girl. I don't know them. All I knew is they worked in corrections. For me, that's good enough."

Borden said that so far more than 60 businesses have donated items for the softball tournament. The items will be raffled off or be part of a silent auction. The items include food, such as hamburgers and hot dogs, that will be available at the field.

"The more we have, the more money we raise," Borden said. "We're expecting 500 people, I would say. It's going to be big."

Anyone wishing to participate or donate items is asked to calls Barry Borden at 637-5150. More information about the tournament is available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sjbmst.